The key political players in Himachal Pradesh state in north-west India are the Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.
Politics of Himachal Pradesh | |
|---|---|
| Legislative branch | |
| Name | Vidhan Sabha |
| Type | Unicameral |
| Meeting place | Vidhan Bhavan |
| Lower house | |
| Name | Vidhan Sabha |
| Presiding officer | Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of State | |
| Title | Governor |
| Currently | Rajendra Arlekar |
| Appointer | President |
| Head of Government | |
| Title | Chief Minister |
| Currently | Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu |
| Appointer | Governor |
| Cabinet | |
| Name | Himachal Pradesh Council of Ministers |
| Current cabinet | Sukhu ministry |
| Leader | Chief Minister |
| Appointer | Governor |
| Ministries | 8 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Courts | High Court |
| Chief judge | Amjad Ahtesham Sayed |
The politics of Himachal Pradesh are more associated with the regional divides of the state.[1]
Based on electoral divide, the state can be divided as - Upper Himanchal consisting the districts of Shimla, Sirmaur and parts of Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Solan, Kinnaur and Chamba; and Lower Himachal consisting the districts of Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una and the lower region of Mandi district.[1]The State was reorganised on 1966 through the Punjab Reorganisation Act by adding some parts of Punjab to the state of Himanchal Pradesh; and the parts of old Himachal and the newly merged areas too differ in their voting pattern.[1]
National politics
editThere are four Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament) constituencies in Himachal Pradesh.
State politics
editThe Himachal Pradesh's Legislative Assembly currently has 68 seats who are directly elected from single-seat constituencies.[2] An election did not take place for 15 years after 1952 due to the enactment of the States Reorganisation Act in 1956 which designated Himachal Pradesh as a Union Territory instead of a Part-C state, falling under the direct control of the President of India.[3] Accordingly, the Legislative Assembly was dissolved. This was later changed in 1963 when the Government of Union Territories Act was passed, providing Himachal with a Legislative Assembly and Chief Minister again.[4] Election were first held again in 1967, after the Punjab Reorganisation Act (1966) was passed, transferring some territory to Himachal Pradesh.[5] Eventually, Himachal Pradesh became a fully fledged state (the 18th of the Union) with the passing of The State of Himachal Pradesh Act in 1970.[6]
The Indian National Congress dominated the state assembly throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, much like most of the nation. The state's first Chief Minister was Yashwant Singh Parmar, who led the region's early development post-Independence. Parmar is still widely celebrated to this day and is even called "The Founder of Himachal Pradesh".[7] After differences with party leaders, Parmar eventually resigned in 1977 at the age of 71. Thakur Ram Lal served as the 2nd Chief Minister until the elections that year. However, in 1977, with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Emergency extremely unpopular throughout the nation, Congress were dealt heavy electoral blows. The state party lost in a landslide to the opposition Janata Party, with Shanta Kumar becoming the state's 3rd Chief Minister. His ministry only lasted for 3 years though, and after multiple party defections,[8] Congress regained power in February 1980 with Ram Lal once again assuming the office of Chief Minister. This administration didn't last either, and after scandals and political turmoil, Ram Lal was forced to resign in 1983, a year after he'd narrowly won re-election.[9] He was replaced by fellow Congress leader Virbhadra Singh. Ever since 1985, no incumbent party has managed to retain control of the Legislative Assembly, and power has flipped between the BJP and INC every few years.
1952 Legislative Assembly election
edit
1967 Legislative Assembly election
edit1972 Legislative Assembly election
edit1977 Legislative Assembly election
edit| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 1977 | 4th Vidhan Sabha | Janta Party | 53 |  Shanta Kumar | JP | |
| Indian National Congress | 9 | |||||
| Independent | 6 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
1982 Legislative Assembly election
edit| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 1982 | 5th Vidhan Sabha | Indian National Congress | 31 |  Thakur Ram Lal | INC | |
| Bharatiya Janta Party | 29 | |||||
| Independent | 6 | |||||
| Janata Party | 2 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
1985 Legislative Assembly election
edit| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 1985 | 6th Vidhan Sabha | Indian National Congress | 58 |  Virbhadra Singh | INC | |
| Bharatiya Janta Party | 7 | |||||
| Independent | 2 | |||||
| Lok Dal | 1 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
1990 Legislative Assembly election
edit| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 1990 | 7th Vidhan Sabha | Bharatiya Janta Party | 46 | Shanta Kumar | BJP | |
| Janata Dal | 11 | |||||
| Indian National Congress | 9 | |||||
| Independent | 1 | |||||
| CPI | 1 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
1993 Legislative Assembly election
edit1998 Legislative Assembly election
editKeys: BJP (-) INC (-) BSP (-) UKD/UKD(P) (-) NCP (-) Independent (-) CPIM (-)
| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 1998 | 9th Vidhan Sabha | Bharatiya Janta Party | 31 |  Prem Kumar Dhumal | BJP | |
| Indian National Congress | 31 | |||||
| Himachal Vikas Congress | 5 | |||||
| Independent | 1 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
2003 Legislative Assembly election
editKeys: BJP (-) INC (-) BSP (-) UKD/UKD(P) (-) NCP (-) Independent (-) CPIM (-)
2007 Legislative Assembly election
editThe 2007 Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly election were held in Himachal Pradesh in 2007.
Keys: BJP (-) INC (-) BSP (-) Independent (-)
| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 2007 | 11th Vidhan Sabha | Bharatiya Janta Party | 41 | Prem Kumar Dhumal | BJP | |
| Indian National Congress | 23 | |||||
| Independent | 3 | |||||
| Bahujan Samaj Party | 1 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
2012 Legislative Assembly election
editKeys: BJP (-) INC (-) BSP (-) UKD/UKD(P) (-) NCP (-) Independent (-) CPIM (-)
| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 2012 | 12th Vidhan Sabha | Indian National Congress | 36 | Virbhadra Singh | INC | |
| Bharatiya Janta Party | 26 | |||||
| Independent | 5 | |||||
| Himachal Lokhit Party | 1 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
2017 Legislative Assembly election
editBJP won 44 out of 68 seats to form the government, ousting Congress party from power. Indian National Congress won 21 seats. Jai Ram Thakur was appointed as Chief Minister after the elections.
Keys: BJP (-) INC (-) BSP (-) UKD/UKD(P) (-) NCP (-) Independent (-) CPIM (-)
| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 2017 | 13th Vidhan Sabha | Bharatiya Janta Party | 44 |  Jai Ram Thakur | BJP | |
| Indian National Congress | 21 | |||||
| Independent | 2 | |||||
| Communist Party of India (Marxist) | 1 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
2022 Legislative Assembly election
editKeys: INC (-) BJP (-) Independent (-)
| Election | Vidhan Sabha | Party-wise details | Chief Minister | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |||||
| 2022 | 14th Vidhan Sabha | Indian National Congress | 40 |  Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu | INC | |
| Bharatiya Janta Party | 25 | |||||
| Independent | 3 | |||||
| Total | 68 | |||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Road to Shimla goes through Kangra': Regional divide prevails over caste in HP". Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ "Himachal Pradesh Elections and Results- News and Updates on Chief Ministers, Cabinet and Governors". www.elections.in. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ "The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956| National Portal of India". www.india.gov.in. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "THE GOVERNMENT OF UNION TERRITORIES ACT, 1963" (PDF). 10 May 1963.
- ^ "The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966". Indian Kanoon. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "THE STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH ACT, 1970" (PDF). India Code. 25 December 1970. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar laid foundation of Himachal Pradesh's development: Jai Ram Thakur". India Tribune. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "Forty Years Ago, February 15, 1980: New Himachal CM". The Indian Express. 15 February 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ "Thakur Ram Lal resigns as Himachal Pradesh CM to pave the way for Virbhadra Singh". India Today. Retrieved 14 April 2023.